


Elopement 101

by dracogotgame



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 06:09:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13229646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracogotgame/pseuds/dracogotgame
Summary: For Draco, the year ends as it began- smack bang in the middle of insanity





	Elopement 101

**Author's Note:**

> An old fic I penned down for New Years a few years ago. Hope you enjoy. Happy 2018, everybody!
> 
> Warning: Ron/Pansy main pairing with Harry/Draco as a close second.

“You know what’s interesting?” Draco drawled as he secured the rope against Pansy’s sturdy four poster bed. He yanked the knot once again and it held tight. “This isn’t the first time I’ve helped you climb out a window.”  
  
“Weird Sisters concert,” Pansy replied distractedly, fiddling with a hair-brush. “We were…what, sixteen?”  
  
“Seventeen,” Draco corrected, pitching the free end out the window. “We wanted to make a night of it—see the Sisters, then go out to Muggle London, remember? But your father said no so we snuck out anyway.”  
  
Pansy’s mouth twisted and she continued mangling her hair-brush. “It’s nice to know some things never change,” she whispered.   
  
Draco struggled for words. “You don’t have to do this,” he offered finally. “There’s still time to change your mind.”   
  
He wanted to say more, do more for her. But this wasn’t something he could help her with. Some things…you just had to do them on your own. He had made his decision and never looked back. But, Pansy wasn’t him. Whether she chose to go or stay, it had to be her choice. Draco would stand by her, no matter what.   
  
Pansy however, had made up her mind. She straightened up and lifted her chin determinedly. Her hands shook slightly but only someone who knew her as well as Draco did would have noticed that. To the untrained eye, she was the very picture of confidence.   
  
“I’m ringing in the New Year with my husband, Draco,” she informed him haughtily. “Daddy can just deal with it and so can you. Now, are you going to grow a pair and help me elope or not?”  
  
Draco suppressed a grin and turned to fiddle with the ropes again. “All done,” he announced. “I’ll go first. Get a good hold on the ledge before you start climbing down. And for Merlin’s sake, be careful.”  
  
“Wait.”  
  
Draco turned again and regarded her enquiringly. Pansy bit her lip and smoothed down her travelling robes. “How do I look?”  
  
Draco grinned fondly and pulled her in for a hug. “Like a bride,” he told her. “Now come on, you don’t want to keep The Weasel waiting, do you?”  
  
Pansy sniffed and buried her face in his shoulder. “He’ll be there, right? He promised he would.”  
  
“If he isn’t, I’ll kill him myself.”  
  
“Thanks, Draco. You’re the best.”                            
  
“Anytime.”

* * *

  
  
Parkinson Manor loomed behind them— dark and foreboding— as they tramped their way across the lawns.   
  
“The wards should end right here,” Pansy whispered, bustling off towards the West Gate. “Hurry up, Draco! This isn’t a field trip!”  
  
Well, at least she’d got her spunk back. Draco rolled his eyes and quickened his pace, catching up to her easily. Pansy however, had halted. Her eyes were wide and her face was paling rapidly.   
  
“What?” Draco demanded. “What’s the matter?”  
  
“The wards,” Pansy shrilled. “He’s changed them!”  
  
Damn it.   
  
Sure enough, it was true. Draco groaned and staggered back as an invisible wall kept him from apparating outside. Mr Parkinson must have anticipated The Great Escape, the bastard. There was no way they could Floo or Apparate out of the manor without express permission.  
  
“What are we going to do?” Pansy whispered frantically. “Draco, we’re trapped. We’ll never get out of here now!”  
  
Draco tuned her out and tried to think straight. Never let it be said that Malfoys lacked ingenuity. This was quite simply, not the time to panic. He took a good, long look up and down the lawns. No other exits in sight. The Floo was probably covered too, and the wards would extend all the way to the gate. Pansy’s father would have anticipated magical means of escape and secured them all.   
  
But what of Muggle methods? Would he have thought of that? Draco took another look at the gate and made a decision.  
  
“Climb.”  
  
“ _What?”_  
  
“Pansy, start climbing! We’re going to scale the gate.”  
  
“But…”  
  
“Pansy, Weasley is on the other side of that gate. Do you want to go to him or not? And think quickly, because I just saw the lights go on at your house!”  
  
That did it. Pansy squeaked in alarm and practically clawed her way up the gate, clutching painfully at Draco’s hand as they scrambled up and over. They landed and steadied themselves and Draco realised he could hear the distant sounds of shouting now. They’d been discovered. Parkinson Manor was up and in arms. He groaned and grabbed Pansy’s hand, making a run for it.  
  
“Now, what?” Pansy panted as she ran alongside him.  
  
“How much further before we can apparate again?” Draco demanded.  
  
“How would I know? He changed the bloody wards!”  
  
"Pansy!” Draco squawked. “Elopement 101! Always have a back-up plan!”  
  
“You don’t say?” Pansy snapped back. “I’ll be sure to remember that the  _next_  time I elope!”   
  
Draco sneered in response and picked up the pace. The shouting was getting louder and closer, and unless he was very much mistaken he could even hear the baying of dogs. Bloodhounds? Really? What was this, 1875?  
  
“We can’t keep this up!” he snapped, as Pansy halted suddenly. “Sooner or later, they’ll catch up to us! Keep running!”  
  
“Ron will be here!” Pansy insisted, holding on to him and dragging her feet like a stubborn mule. “He promised!”  
  
As heartening as her faith in Weasley was, Draco didn’t share the sentiment. “Pansy…”  
  
His reasonable and somewhat panicked retort was thwarted as an ominous rumbling sounded, nearly drowning out the barking and shouting of their pursuers. What in the world? Draco looked around wildly, expecting an ambush at any second. The rumbling just grew louder and louder, and then two blinding lights flashed in Draco’s face. He barely had a second to note the monstrosity heading right towards them and then Pansy pulled him out of the way.  
  
The double-decker bus hurtled to a screechy stop inches from them, teetering and creaking in protest.   
  
“Get in!” Weasley howled, his panic stricken, freckled face poking out of the window. “They’re catching up! Bloody hell Pans, you could have mentioned the bloodhounds!”   
  
“Ron!”  
  
“Oh, good grief!” Draco snarled, pushing her in. She toppled right into Weasley’s waiting arms. Draco had about a second to clamber on himself, and then the bus was hurtling off at warp speed. Draco caught hold of the rail to hold himself up, finally managing to stand upright despite the bus’ best efforts.  
  
“We did it,” he whispered in relief, sagging against the rail. “Merlin help me, we actually did it.”  
  
Pansy didn’t reply. She was too busy sobbing in Weasley’s arms. Weasley held on to her with a surprising gentleness, stroking her hair and whispering soothingly. Draco nodded approvingly to himself. Despite all the madness, he had a feeling this was going to turn out all right.   
  
Weasley finally disentangled himself enough to acknowledge Draco with a terse nod. “Thanks, mate,” he said thickly. “I owe you one.”  
  
“Damn right you do,” Draco drawled. “Also, I have to ask. How the hell did you get a hold of The Knight Bus?”  
  
Weasley gave him a lopsided grin and shrugged. “Ask your husband. He’s the one in the driver’s seat.”  
  
Caught somewhere between disbelief and incredulity, Draco turned around.   
  
Harry grinned and waved at him, swerving on and off the road in the process. “Room for one more up in front,” he called out.   
  
Draco didn’t need a second invitation. He staggered over and slumped down in the seat beside Harry. The exhaustion was catching up. His head was swimming with the details of his latest — and thankfully, last— madcap adventure of the year. His best friend was eloping and marrying the Weasel. The Weasel owed him one. And his husband of four years was driving the bloody Knight Bus.  
  
“Are you all right?” Harry asked, missing a lamp post by bare inches. “You look tired.”  
  
“No, really?” Draco grumbled without any heat. He was just thankful it was over. “What took you so long?”  
  
“Ron insisted we take a ‘shortcut’.”  
  
“Of course. And what about…”  
  
“The bus? Stan Shunpike and I go way back.”  
  
Draco cracked a smile despite himself. All this time and Harry still managed to surprise him. “Mad,” he murmured fondly. “All of you Gryffindors— just bloody mad, the lot of you.”  
  
Harry grinned sheepishly and squeezed his hand. “Quite a night, yeah? Absolutely barking. Nothing like when  _we_  eloped.”  
  
“ _We_ had a back-up plan,” Draco replied, loudly enough for Pansy to hear.  
  
“Shut up, Draco,” she called back before returning to snog the life force out of Weasley.  
  
Draco chuckled and rubbed his temples. “Please tell me you’ve got something to drink on this death trap.”  
  
“Glove compartment, I think. Oi, Ron! We’re breaking out the champagne early, yeah?”  
  
Weasley’s muffled response was permission enough for Draco. He smirked and pulled out a chilled bottle. “Happy New Year, you barmy lot,” he announced as he uncorked it. His celebratory swig was interrupted by Harry’s hand on his wrist. Draco looked up at him, and Harry stared back uncertainly. “You’re happy, aren’t you?” he asked softly. “I know it’s not been easy— eloping and building our life together. It’s been tough and crazy and bloody wonderful and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I just…I wonder sometimes, if you do.”  
  
A surge of tenderness rushed through Draco’s heart. “Never,” he promised fervently. “Every day with you is an adventure. That’s what I signed up for. I wouldn’t change a thing, Harry. Not then, not now, not in the New Year or anytime after.”  
  
Harry’s smile widened and his eyes shone. “I love you,” he whispered, pulling Draco in for a kiss. Draco smiled against his husband’s lips. The warm familiarity of Harry’s touch and his taste was all the security he would ever need.  
  
“I love you too,” he murmured as his eyes fluttered open. “I would never…lamp post.”  
  
“Beg pardon?”  
  
“ **Potter!**  Lamp post!” Draco yelped in alarm, scrambling to swerve the wheel around. Harry squeaked and scrambled back in his seat. Somewhere in the back, there was a screech and an audible thump as Pansy and Weasley went crashing to the floor.   
  
The bus creaked and rattled as they swerved,  _just_  avoiding smashing full-tilt into the bloody lamp post. Draco managed to careen to a sudden stop. The bus halted with a groan of protest, or maybe that was Pansy. Draco turned to shoot a withering glare in the direction of his sheepish husband.  
  
“Um, oops?” Harry mumbled, fidgeting awkwardly in his seat.  
  
“Maybe we  _should_  change a few things for the new year!” Draco snapped. “Budge over, Four Eyes.  _I’m_  driving.”


End file.
